The callous anti-vaccination organisation, the Australian Vaccination Network, is soon to be no more. They must change their name to something less deceptive, which better reflects their true intent – which is to dissuade parents from immunising themselves and their children. They lost their appeal against Fair Trading NSW, who ordered the name change.
Stop the Australian Vaccination Network has won. In four and a half years we have turned the tide from what was once an organisation which was sought for immunisation comment, to an organisation which is no longer sought for comment on anything apart from its own callousness and dishonesty. The “AVN” is defeated. They will rename. I doubt any of its critics are going anywhere. I’m certainly here for the long haul.
Today the AVN made this post, again making defamatory claims about two pharmaceutical companies, that they are “pathological criminals”:
Now, I don’t care much for big business – pharma included – but, I have a strong belief that they be allowed to hold crackpots accountable, legally. They won’t do it, for a variety of reasons. I think they should. They won’t.
I let them know, on Twitter. More should. That’s just my view:
It is well past time @pfizer & @GSK took action against the AVN, for being labeled “pathological criminals” #StopAVNpic.twitter.com/sIje8bQrnD
I’m sure @pfizer & @GSK could put to good social use a whole macadamia farm in Northern New South Wales #StopAVNpic.twitter.com/sIje8bQrnD
Now, I want to remind everyone that the Australian Vaccination Network is classified as a recognised Health Service Provider, as a Health Educator, under NSW health legislation. The AVN is also the holder of a Charitable Fundraising Authority. It is a not for profit incorporated association with a code of ethics, registered with Fair Trading NSW.
A short time ago an official representative of the Australian Vaccination Network made a post under the official Facebook account of the AVN. It made the post in retaliation for my Tweets above. I am content that this post was made. I want it to remain on the public record.
I give you, the real Australian Vaccination Network:
Peter Tierney (aka Reasonable (W)Hank – writing to his bosses at Glaxo Smithkline and Merck asking them to somehow remove the macadamia farm from Meryl’s family and to take action against her for forwarding an article that was printed in the BMJ and on the Refuser’s website about their fraudulent activities. No concern about the fact that these companies have admitted to being guilty of committing criminal offenses and paid tens of billions of dollars in fines; and that adults and children are dying and being permanently injured as a result of these crimes.
Really, you couldn’t make these guys up! Keep it up Pete – we really do love watching you grovel to the companies who pay your bills. But just remember, karma is a bitch and she’s got your number!
B52
If ever there was a fitting grand statement of the raison d’etre of this dangerous, nasty, callous, dishonest, intimidatory cabal of disease advocates, who dine on the tragedy of the death of innocents, it is the above; as well as these vile comments from Meryl Dorey, two days ago:
And, even worse, from yesterday. Dorey reverts to the monstrous form which ensured the creation of Stop the Australian Vaccination Network:
Good riddance. We’ll see you in the new year.
reasonablehank 
Well said Peter. It will be great to see the rename, but not the existence of this vile group.
So much pathetic straw-clutching at the AVN cult camp. “He’s a shill!” “Reasonable (w)hank)”!!
Gee that’s really original and creative.
I haven’t seen them come up with a new argument for a long time. Actually, when I think about it, they’ve never had any new arguments, just boring tiresome old tropes and sound bites.
“this dangerous, nasty, callous, dishonest, intimidatory cabal of disease advocates, who dine on the tragedy of the death of innocents,”
Fantastic description. Saved for future reference.
I think of them under one single term: Scofflaw.
While i don’t have a lot of respect for Glaxo and Pfizer, vaccine trials are almost impossible to manipulate. Basically at the end of the trial people either have or haven’t the disease, and maybe have had some adverse reaction. Just add them up and compare them. Children dying tend to be difficult to ignore. Most of the older vaccines were probably evaluated in publicly funded trials.
I expect they won’t go away. It is too much to wish for.
How can I get Glaxo and Pfizer to start paying me? Just a few cents per post would be enough as I stepped up my sharing since my sister had a baby in July. I will continue until she’s had her full 24 months vax schedule.
I would love someone with a psychiatry/psychology qualification to explain what is going on in Meryl’s head? Seriously, what is the motivation?
As a Medico no-one needs to convince me about how important vaccination is. In my private time I play around with Genealogy – currently going through the death notices from a rural community in the 1890s – in the winter of 1896 virtually an entire generation was wiped out by measles and whooping cough in that district. Inbetween that there were cases of diphtheria and dysentery that decimated that community. Now if one believes MD this was all due to their poor living standards as their immune systems were not damaged by vaccinations and the infections should have been mild – tell that to all those long-dead children MD. No amount of improved hygiene will prevent kids from dying from these awful diseases – they need their vaccinations for that to happen and if you are unable to understand that you are not only stupid – you are simply an evil person who should be held accountable for the damage done by the AVN.
Cognative disordance is what I have said previously is their problem and yes it is a mental condition that requires treatment. In part it says “which a subject, even after proof that his or her belifs have been proven completely false by the weight of evidence against them continues to believe that their orginal supposition is still correct”. (Think still smoking even though you have cancer etc). Or words to that effect. Pig headed stubborness to believe is another way of saying the same thing – nothing like a deluded fool to be a ‘true believer’ etc. No I am not a psych or hold any other qualifications but the Internet is full of information if you know how to ask the right questions.
Thanks, an entertaining, in an odd way, blog post.
I wonder if those folks of the organisation soon to be “formerly known as the AVN” will ever realise how ridiculous they are.
Happy New Year mate.
While the NSW goverment might finally be taking some long-overdue action, it’s probably worth noting that the AVN has, in the past, been empowered by govt inaction and poor decision-making. How is it that the AVN ever came to hold a charity licence? How is it that they were able to continue to trade as a charity, without penalty, even after the licence had lapsed? How is it that the licence was eventually revoked due to a long list of breaches, only to be reinstated without penalty? How is it that, even after parliament itself resolved the AVN was spreading dangerous misinformation, that they still hold that charity licence? In essence, NSW governments gave the AVN the legitimacy it needed to get to where it got.
Given governments’ tardiness and ineptitude to date, I have little faith the AVN will be changing its name any time soon. I do, however, expect to see examples of exchanges which will essentially be a repeat performance of “What would you like us to change it to?” and “Sorry, I’m not understanding what you want from us” and “Okay, I’ll have to put that to the membership, it might take a while” and “How about the Australian Vaccination Authority?”… Rinse and repeat.
I came home needing a sweet, ice cold beer and a look at the cricket. This post was much better than both of those.
I just got a 12 hour block for post I made months ago that was in no way whatsoever in violation of Facebook. I was trying to help Tess in writing her posts after she stated she had dyspraxia. I am actually qualified to do that as an education support teacher! These guys are vexatious and beyond disingenuous.
Sorry for the late response. I’ve lost home internet and therefore email. Keep forgetting to check. My next post is about the censorship if you’d like to add your comment.
There is *supposed* to be a Facebook Grievance Officer that one can contact.
That said, hanged if I can find out *how* to contact this mythical officer. It sure isn’t easily located in their help pages.
I’ve also left a message with Mark on the issue. While I do not know him, I do know that his staff monitors his messages and will act on abuses that can and will impact on Facebook’s operations and reputation, such as it is.
When the former “AVN” changes its name, following a direction from Fair Trading, will it be co-incidence or causative?
Coincidence. They’ll probably say they’re changing direction, perhaps even spreading their scope wider into all science-based medicine (since they disparage it now anyway), and that a new name is in order. But I still wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen.
What do you know?!! Back in November, in your comments, I put forward the possibility that someone might register names like “Vaccination Sceptics Network” before the AVN did. It seems someone did and one name “Australian Vaccination – Sceptics Network” was already taken by the time they got around to thinking about maybe doing something about the name change order that was upheld in November.
I wonder if this might explain the search for an IP attorney?
From The Australian… “We have to have a meeting first to find out what the members want to do and we are in the process of going through that at the moment.”
And so Round 1 of “wait a bit, we have to go back to the members” begins.
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